Feeding-machine and printing-press controlling mechanism.



PATENTED JULY 19, 1904.

. T. G. DEXTER. FEEDING MAGHINE AND PRINTING PRESSCONTROLLING-MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 29, 1902.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

N0 MODEL.

4400 11 to c AMI/765,414. PA'TENTED JULY 19, 1904.

T. O. DEXTER. I I FEEDING MAGHINB AND PRINTING PRESS CONTROLLINGMECHANISM.

APPLIUATION FILED SEPT. .29. 1902.

N0 MODEL. 4 BHEBTSSHEET 2.

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. ff Til lllil No. 765,414. PATENTED JULY 19, 1904,

. T. 0. DEXTER. f FEEDING MACHINE AND PRINTING PRESS CONTROLLINGMECHANISM.

APPLIOATIOIi FILED SEPT. 29. 1902.

N0 MODEL. 4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

PATENTED JULY 19, 1904.

No. 765,414. I

' T. 0. DEXTER.

FEEDING. MACHINE AND PRINTING PRESS CONTROLLING MECHANISM.

APPLICIATION FILED SEPT. 29. .1902.

' 4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

N0 MODEL.

N J-EI. JQJJZOE-E- Q by pom UNITED STATES Patented July 19,1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

FEEDING-MACHINE AND PRINTING-PRESS CONTROLLING MECHANISM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 765,414, dated July 19,1904. Application filed September 29, 1902. Serial No. 125,314. (Nomodel.)

To all whom, it nuty concern:

Be it known that I, TALBOT O. DEXTER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Pearl River,'in the county of Rockland, State of New York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Feeding-Machine andPrinting-Press Controlling Mechanism, of which the following is aspecification.

The object of the present invention is to improve the generalconstruction and operation of mechanism for controlling automaticfeeders and printing-presses with a view to reducing to a minimum thewear and tear upon the machinery, the loss of time in printing, and thewaste of paper.

In the machine of my present invention the transfer-tapes are drivenfrom the main camshaft of the feeding-machine, which is in turn drivenfrom a shaft operated by the printingpress, a suitablecaliper-controlled clutch being interposed between the driving-shaft andcam-shaft of the feeder, so as to arrest the operation of thefeeding-machine and transfertapes independently of the operation of theprinting-press. I also employ side-register gages and suitablesheet-detecting devices at the front gages of the printing-press adaptedto throw out the press when a sheet fails to reach registered position.

My invention consists of the general ,arrangement and combination ofparts for producing the desired results, and in order that my inventionmay be fully understood I will first describe the same with reference tothe accompanying drawings and afterward point out the novelty moreparticularly in the annexed claims.

In said drawings, Figure 1 is a general side elevation of parts of aprinting-press and parts of an automatic paper-feeding machine arrangedto feed sheets to the press and controlling devices for said machines.Fig. 2 is a detail front elevation of part of the feedingmaehine,showing particularly the calipercontrolled clutch for arresting theoperation of the feeding-machine and transfer-tapes. Fig. 3 is a detailview illustrating the feederdriving mechanism. Fig. 4. is a detailelevation of one side of the forward part of the paper-feeding machine.Fig. 5 is a detail vertical longitudinal sectional view of thesheetcalipering mechanism and the feeder throwout clutch. Fig. 6 is asimilar view showing the tripped position of the caliper-controlledclutch. Fig. 7 is a detail of a part of the clutch mechanism.

1 represents the frame of a printing-press in which is mounted theimpression-cylinder 2 and the reciprocating bed or form 3. Theimpression-cylinder 2 is mounted in verticallymovable bearings 5, fromwhich depend the rods 6, connected to a yoke 7 adjacent to their lowerends. Heavy spiral springs 8 surround the rod 6 and tend to hold theimpression cylinder 2 in printing position. The yoke 7 is connected witha stationary part 9 of the press-frame by means of the toggle-links 10,to the knuckle of which is pivoted a reciprocating controller-bar 11,formed with a notched recess 12, in which engages a rock-arm 13,extending from a rock-shaft 14L, journaled in the press-frame. Thisshaft 1 1 is constantly rocked during the operation of the press foralternately moving the impression-cylinder into and out of printingposition. A rockshaft 15, journaled in the machine-frame, carries arock-arm 16, which rests directly beneath the front end of thecontroller-bar'll for raising said bar out of engagement with therock-arm 13. This shaft 15 has a depending arm17, pivoted to the end ofa spring-actuated rod 18, which passes through a guide 19, journaledupon the machine-frame, and carries an expansion-spring 20, confined bythe adjustable collar 21. This spring-actuated rod 18 is pivoted at 25to the throw-out disk 26, journaled to the machinerframe at 27.

This mechanism as far as described is similar in construction andoperation to that shown in my Patent No. 665,072, dated January 1, 1901.Other forms of impression-cylinder throw-out mechanism may be employed.

A latch or hook 30, journaled at 31, engages a pin or lug 32, carried bythe throwout disk 26, for holding the impression-cylinder tl1I'0\ -outmechanism in normal position to allow the operation of the press.

35 is a trip-rod journaled to the hook 30 at 36 and provided at itsupper end with a step 37.

4:0 is a feed-board of ordinary construction suitably mounted in properrelation to the impression-cylinder 2 of the printingpress.

Projecting forwardly from. the inner end of the feed-board L0 are theusual under-guide fingers 41, which will be hereinafter more fullyreferred to. A series of transfer conveyer bands or tapes 15, passingover a roller 46, suitably journaled above the upper face of thefeed-board 40, are arranged to convey successive sheets of paper fromthe automatic feeding-machine to the printing-press. These bands ortapes deposit the sheet upon the feed-board with its forward edge incontact with the printing-press front guides in readiness for theoperation of the side-registering mechanism. This latter mechanism willnow be described.

tering mechanism forms no part of the present invention, and anysuitable side-registermg mechanism may be employed in combination withthe other devices hereinafter re For the purpose of illustrating ferredto. the invention I have shown in the drawings and will now describe ina general way the side-registering mechanism covered by my Patent No.669,72 granted March 12, 1901, for improvements in sheet-conveyerframes.

The mechanism set forth in this patent comprises two laterally-operatingpaper-shifting ing devices. is one of the reciprocating transverse bars,having a spring for moving:

it inwardly and supported in suitable guides on the brackets D. Theoutward movement of the bar 2' is effected by means of alongitudinally-movable cam-platej, mounted in suitable guides on thebracket D. The camplate j is adapted to engage a roller (not shown)carried by the bar 5 for moving the bar 4) outwardly. A rod R isconnected with the cam-plate j and reciprocated by any suitable cammechanism, which may be operated from the feeding-machine, ashereinafter explained. The gripper-fingerfnot shown) is fastened to atransverse shaft N, suitably journaled in brackets mounted upon the barTo the other end of the-shaft N is rigidly secured a radially-projectinglug m, and in front and rear of said portion of said shaft are posts on,projecting up from the face of the cam-plate j, to which are adjustablyconnected studs or tappets m disposed to strike the lug m alternatelyupon opposite sides dur-. ing the reciprocating movement of the camplate1'. The operation of this side-registering mechanism will be clearlyunderstood 211T. ter referring to the above-named Patent No. ($69,724:,the corresponding parts of the structure being indicated in the presentcase by the same reference characters that are used in said patent.

is a controller rock-shaft suitably journaled in the machine-frame andcarrying a rock-arm 61, which is connected, through a downwardly-projecting link 62, with the hook or latch 30 of theimpression-cylinder throwout mechanism above described.

is the main switch-lever pivoted at 66 and controlling the contacts(indicated at 67) which are included in the electric circuit whichsupplies current to the motor which operates the printing-press. Inplace of the switch-lever 65 a belt-shifting lever may be used when thepress is operated by steam. The specific construction of theside-regis-,

A rock-arm 70 depends from the rock-shaft 60 just behind theswitch-lever 65, so as to open the switch when shaft 60 is rocked.

The specific form of the controlling mechanism just described isimmaterial to the present invention, and, in fact, it is not essentialwhether the controlling mechanism is electrical or mechanical.

A rock-arm projects upwardly from the rock-shaft 60 and has pivoted atits upper end 76a link 7 7 which is pivotally connected at 78 to arock-arm 79, journaled at 80 to the bracket D. Projecting forwardly fromthe rock-arm 79 is a rod 85, which is journaled to the rock-arm at 86and carries an adj ustable block or tappet 87, formed with a rear curvedor cam face 87 and secured in the desired adjusted position upon the rodby any suitable means, such as a set-screw 88.

The rod 85 is controlled by the mechanism presently to be described.When the rod is in its lowermost position and the cam-plate y' is movedrearwardly, a part 90, projecting from the forward post 122/, willengage the tappet 87, forcing the rock-arm 79 rearwardly to operate thecontroller-shaft 60 and cause it to break the electric circuit andactuate the impression cylinder throw out mechanism. If, on the otherhand, the rod 85 is in its raised position, the tappet 87 will not beengaged by the part 90, and the controlling mechanism will therefore notbe operated. A stud 95 is adjustably mounted on a stationary part of theframe to one side of the line of travel of part 90 and in the path oftappet 87. WVhen the tappet 87, engaged by part 90, is forced rearwardlyfor operating the throw-out mechanism, the cam-face 87 engages stud andlifts the tappet 87 out of engagement with the part 90, thereby stoppingthe movement of rod 85 and allowing cam-plate j to complete its stroke.

is a rock-shaft journaled in a bracket 101 and carrying a finger 102,which rests directly beneath the forward portion of the rod 85. Therock-shaft 100 also carries an arm 103, formed with a lateral slot 104,in which is adjustably mounted a pin 105, carried by a link 106. The pin105 can be clamped in any desired adjusted position upon arm 103.

The link 106 is formed at its opposite end with an elongated slottedyoke 107, in the slot of which engages a pin or stud 108, mounted uponthe rear post an of the cam-plate j.

110 is a forked or bifurcated arm mounted upon the rock-shaft 100 andstraddling the rod for holding it against lateral displacement. Aspiralspring (not shown) surrounds the rock-shaft and tends to rotate shaft100 to throw the finger 102 into engagement with rod 85 for raising therod and holding the tappet 87 out of the path of the post m.

represents the front guides-of the printing-press, adjustably mountedupon the arms 121, which are secured upon a rock-shaft operated, asusual, by the press. Each front guide has projected from itssheet-engaging face a plate 125, formed with an upturned end This plate125 rests above and parallel with the under guides 41 of the feed-boardwhen the front guides are down in operative position for the purpose ofconfining the forward edge of the sheet between the under guide and theplate to prevent the sheet from buckling at its forward edge.

is a tripping-plate pivoted to the face of each front guide 120 andformed with a bifurcated lower end, the legs of which straddle the plate125 and the under-guide finger 41.

Formed integral with and projecting rearwardly and laterally from theplate 130 is an arm or dog.131. A counterbalance-weight is attached tothe rear face of the plate 130 for holding the plate 130 and attachedarm 131 in normal operative position.

Rock-shaft 100 carries a depending rockarm 140, to the lower end ofwhich is pivoted a reciprocatory rod 141, which rests and slides in anotch cut in the upper edge of the front guide 120. This rod 141 isformed on its lower face with a shoulder 143, which is adapted undercertain circumstances to engage the arm or dog 131 of the sheet-actuatedtrippingplate 130.

When the sheet is fed to the press by the automatic feeding-machine, itsforward edge comes in contact with the front guides of the press and isarrested in this position. After the sheet reaches the proper registeredposition against the front guides it will be clearthat thetripping-plates 130 will be pushed gripper laterally to register thesheet, and at the end of this stroke the stud 108 will engage the outerend of the slot in the yoke 107 I as of rod 106 to rock the shaft 100against the action of its spring to depress the finger 102 and throwrearwardly the rod 141 in readiness for the operation upon a secondsheet. If the sheet fails to reach the proper position against the frontguides 120, the arms ordogs 131 will not be depressed, and upon thereturn of the cam-plate 7" one of said dogs 131 will engage shoulder 143on the rod 141 and prevent the spring moving the shaft 100 back to raisethe finger 102. The result of this will be that the rod 85 will remainin its lowered position and the tappet 87 will rest in the path of thepart 90 on post m, so that when the'cam-plate returns to register thesheet laterally the rod 85 will be forced rearwardly, causing the arm 79to rock upon its bearing and move the controller-shaft 60 upon itsbearing, with the result that the circuit will be broken at contacts 67and the machine will be thrown out of operation, as above explained.

A horizontal shaft-section is driven from a part of the printing-pressthrough sprocket-wheels 151 152 and chain 153 and bevel-gears 154 155.This shaft-section 150 has a universal-joint connection with a centralhorizontally-extending shaft-section 165, which in turn is connected byuniversal joint 166 with a shaft-section 167, carrying a beveled gear168, which meshes with the gear 169 on the vertically-extendingfeeder-operating shaft 170. The upper end of this shaft 170 carries abeveled gear 171, meshing with a similar gear 172, journaled on a stud173 of hook 182, having a rearwardly-extending heel or finger 183, towhich is pivoted a springactuated rod 184, which passes through aguide-nut mounted upon the disk 180.

The hook of the curved arm 182 normally engages a pin or lug 186,carried on an arm 187, which is keyed to the cam-shaft 176. Theengagement of the hooked arm 182 with thelug 186 causes the shaft 176 torotate with the disk 180. All of the parts of the feeding-machine areoperated from shaft 17 6. The arm 182 also has a laterally-projectingpin or lug 190, which is adapted to engage the inclined face of acam-block 195 when the latter is moved laterally into the path of saidlug 190. This cam-block 195 slides in a suitable bracket 197 and hasprojecting from' it the pin 198, formed with a slot 199, in whichengages the segment-cam 200, mounted on the rock-arm 201, keyed to thethrow-out rockshaft 202.

210 is the throw-out controlling-cam of the caliper-controlledmechanism. This cam 210 is keyed to the main cam-shaft 176 of the feederand is formed with a low portion 210, the purpose of which willpresently appear.

A rock-arm 215 is keyed to'the rock-shaft 202 and carries adjacent toits forward end an antifriction-roller 216, which operates upon theperiphery of the controlling-cam 210. This rock-arm 215 is also formedwith a forwardly-projecting nose 217, which normally rests above theupper end of apendulum-lever 220, which is journaled to themachine-frame at 221. This pendulum-lever is operated by thesheet-calipering device, which will now be explained.

230 is a roller keyed to a constantly-driven shaft 231 on thefeeding-machine.- This roller 230 constitutes the lower member of thesheetcalipering device.

235 is a rock-arm journaled to the machineframe at 236 and carrying thenormally stationary rotatable calipering-wheel 237 which is journaled tosaid rock-arm at 238 and has projecting from one face a pin or lug 239.An arm 240 projects downwardly from the jour-- nal 221 of thependulum-lever 220 and is connected with said pendulum-lever. Arm 2 10rests behind the lug 239.

245 is an adjustable limiting-screw threaded through a lug 246 onrock-arm 235 and engaging a rigid lug 2&7 on the machine-frame. Byadjusting the screw 2 15 the relation of the upper calipering member 237to the lower calipering member 230 may be regulated to a nicety. Aspring-actuated rod 250 is connected to the free end of the caliperingsupporting-arm 235 for holding it downwardly with a yielding pressure.If an extra thickness of sheets passes between the caliperingwheels 230and 237, the wheel 237 will be rotated by rock-lever 220 to move it frombeneath the nose 217 of rock-arm 215. This will remove the support forsaid rock-arm when the low portion 210 of cam 210 reaches theantifriction-roller 216, and hence the rockarm 215 will drop, causingthe shaft 202 to be rocked for throwing out the clutch above de- 1scribed. The disengagement of the clutch effects the disconnection ofthe feeding-machine from the driving-shaft operated by theprinting-press.

The transfer-conveyer bands or tapes 45 are passed over the feed-boardof the printingpress and are supported at their forward end upon thetape-roller 4:6 and supported at rear upon a driving tape-roller 275,having at one end a gear-wheel 27 6, which is driven through theintermediate gears 277 and 278 from the gear 279, keyed to the maincam-shaft 176 of the feeding-machine. It will be observed that the gear279 is at the opposite end of shaft 176 from the driving-clutch abovedescribed. From this arrangement itwill be observed that thetransfer-tapes being driven by the feeder cam-shaft will be under directcontrol of the feeder throw-out mechanism, so that the said tapes willstop when the feeding-machine stops.

The rod R, which operates the side registering mechanism abovedescribed, extends from the said mechanism to the adjacent end of thefeeding-machine, where it is connected at 285 with the lower end of alever 286, journaled to the feeding-machine frame at 287. The upper endof the lever 286 carries an antifriction-roller 289, which operates uponthe periphery of a cam 290, which is adjustably secured to the face ofthe gear 175 above referred to.

When the machine is started, it will be observed that the automaticfeeding-machine driven through the mechanism described will feed thesuccessive sheets of paper to the transfer-tapes, which in turn carrythe sheets down to the front guides of the printing-press. WVhen thesheet reaches the front guides of the press, it is registered in themanner already described. If the sheet-calipering device detects anextra thickness of sheets, as in the case of two sheets being fedforward from the feeding-machine, the feed-clutch will immediatelybethrowuout to arrest the operation of the feeder and transfer-tapes.This will arrest the forward movement of any sheets which happen to beon the transfer-tapes on their way to the printing-press. Theprinting-press being under control of its independent sheet-actuatedtripping devices will continue to operate upon any sheet which hasreached the front guideor has gone part way throught-he press; butimmediately after the passage of any sheet which has started through theprinting-press themovement of the presswill be arrested. The im portanceof this arrangement is the fact that the press is not stopped until thecompletion of an operation upon any sheet which happens to have reachedthe press, so that there is no danger of destroying any sheets of paper.It makes no difference whether the press throw-out mechanism fails toarrest the movement of the operating parts of the press instantly afterit is tripped, since no more sheets can go intothe press and no harm canbe done.

I would have it understood that the construction illustrated anddescribed in my 1. The combination of a printing-press, a

paper-feeding machine, and a conveyer for transferring sheets from thefeeding-machine to the printing-press, with power-transmitting mechanismdriving the feeding-machine from the printing-press, a clutch interposedin said power transmitting mechanism, a sheet-actuated device supportedin the path of the sheets and controlling said clutch, gearing betweenthe feeding-machine and the transfer-conveyer for driving the latter,suitable throw-out mechanism adapted to arrest the operation of thepress independently of the feeding-machine, and sheet-actuated meanscontrolling said press throw-out mechanism and independent of thesheet-actuated clutch-controlling device, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of a printing-press,suitable throw-out mechanismadapted to arrest the operation of the press, and sheet-actuated meanscontrolling said throw-out mechanism, with a paper-feeding machine, atransferconveyer for feeding sheets from the feedingmachine to theprinting-press, gearing between the feeding-machine andtransfer-conveyer, power-transmitting mechanism driving the feeder fromthe printing-press, a clutch interposed in the power-transmittingmechanism between the feeding-machine and printing-press, and asheet-calipering device arranged in the path of the sheets and adaptedto disconnect the feeding-machine and transfer-conveyer from theprintingpress, said calipering device being independent of thecontrolling means of the press throw-out mechanism, substantially as setforth.

3. The combination of a printing-press, a side-registering gripperoperating upon the feed-board of the press, suitable throw-out mechanismcontrolled by said side-gripper mechanism and adapted to arrest theoperation of the press, drop-gages operating to control saidside-gripper mechanism, with a paper-feeding machine, atransfer-conveyer for feeding sheets from the feeding-machine to thefeed-board of the printing-press, gearing between the feeding-machineand transferconveyer, power transmitting mechanism driving the feederfrom the printing-press, a clutch interposed between the feeding machine and printing-press, and a sheet-calipering device arranged in thepath of the sheets and adapted to disconnect the feeding-machine andtransfer-conveyer from the printing-press, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination of a printing-press and suitableautomatically-controlled throw-out mechanism adapted to arrest theoperation of the press, with a paper-feeding machine including a mainshaft from which the operative parts of said machine are driven, adriving-gear loosely mounted upon said main shaft, a clutch adapted tolock said loose gear upon said main shaft, sheet-actuated meanscontrolling said clutch, power-transmitting mechanism connecting theprinting-press with said loosely-mounted gear, a transferconveyeradapted to convey sheets from the feeder to the printing-press, andgearing between the main shaft of the feeder and saidtransfer-coriveyer, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination of a printing-press, and suitable sheet-actuatedmeans controlling the operation of said press, With a paper-feedingmachine, a sectional driving-shaft geared to and driven by saidprinting-press, universal joints connecting the sections of saiddrivingshaft, a feeder operating shaft geared to and driven by saidsectional driving-shaft, a main cam-shaft operating the parts of thefeeding-machine, a gear loosely mounted upon said cam-shaft and drivenby the feeder driving-shaft, a clutch connecting said looselymountedgear with the cam-shaft, a sheetcalipering device controlling saidclutch, a transfer-conveyer adapted to carry sheets from the feeder tothe printing-press, and gearing between said conveyer and the feedercam-shaft, substantially as set fortln 6. The combination of aprinting-press, a feeding-machine, conveyer-tapes adapted to carrysheets from the feeding-machine to the printing-press, automatic meanscontrolling the operation of the printing-press, suitableside-registering mechanism for registering the sheets in theprinting-press, a feeder camshaft from which the operative parts of thefeeder are driven, a gear loosely mounted upon said cam-shaft, a clutchconnecting said loosely-mounted gear with the shaft, sheetactuateddevices controlling said clutch, power-transmitting mechanism operatedby the printing-press and driving said looselymounted gear, a cammounted upon said loosely-mounted gear, means operated by said cam foractuating the side-registering mechanism, and gearing between thetranfer-con- 'veyer and the feeder cam-shaft, substantially as setforth.

TALBOT C. DEXTER.

Witnesses:

J. GREEN, WM. E. KNIGHT.

